Radford will ruin crooks confidence , hope the forwards step up especially Paea who has being very quiet last few games

I think Crooks will benefit from having Lineham back. If nothing else he just seems more confident when he's there.

Gelling had Crooks for breakfast, dinner and tea last week. Admittedly near the end he also had Horne and Thompson for supper but nonetheless Crooks can't complain at being dropped IMO. If Crooks plays well he stays in. It's not like he isn't being given chance. It's up to the kid to improve his level to that which got him in the dream team. His confidence was shot at Wembley last year - picked that day by Peter Gentle as it happens.

James Smailes ‏@James_Smailes 5m
Ben Crooks is out Hull FC squad as he's got a pelvic injury. Could be back next week

Glad Rankin is back in the squad

Is it crooks fault he only gets his hands on the ball 3 times or our lack of shifting the ball to him?

I'd go Horne in the centre.

If you're going to put one of our supposed halves in the centre I'd rather it be Rankin. He's got good feet and is strong enough to break tackles near the line as he's proved already this season. He can't do that in the stand and I'll be surprised if he's preferred to Horne in the middle.

Not sure, couldn't face watching it again, even if he didn't he should be helping his team out from acting half a bit more.

Crookes had 8 runs.

Anyway looks like many posters have jumper the gun as he wasn't dropped but injured.

When the gun is already loaded it's impossible for some to remove the bullets.

Unlike you that just fires blanks

Have I bummed you?
Couldn't have been very memorable.

I wonder if Crooks went into the Wigan game carrying an injury and that was why he wasn't kicking?

Should have kept hold of Arundel instead of playing someone out of position there ie Horne/Whiting.

Think his confidence is shot[i because[/i of Wembley.

The whole Wigan team had every FC player for breakfast,lunch,tea and supper. Harsh to pick out one player.

I didn't but thanks for the advice. Did you miss my reference to two others? It could have been more but I was answering the specific point about Crooks made earlier. If you want to start a thread about how crap Yeaman, Whiting or Horne were then go ahead and I'll agree with you.

I'm not a subscriber to the wrap in cotton wool scenario for any player. Sure players will need managing differently but they're grown men employed at the top level to do a job. If they're not doing the job then they're open to scrutiny. Crooks rightly took the plaudits when stood in his dream team kit with Lineham last year but I find it amazing that some fans get so defensive when the players are rightly criticised for poor performance. With some it's almost anyone's fault but the players. Garbage in my opinion.

Indeed - Gentle brought him back too early so the story went.

Passed fit and ready to play, why wouldn't he pick him?

.... and missed the rest of the season with the same foot injury.

So, you'd move Horne to the centres? Radford proclaimed him the best half-back at the club. Clearly you disagree.

He's NOT a centre, neither is Whiting. We HAVE centres at the club. We also have Yeaman.

My point still stands, it was well advertised by his family that he was fit and ready, club physio's said he was good to go. Not saying those opinions were right or wrong, just stating Gentles reasons for picking him. Given his form it would have been hard not to.

We need to stop with the sliding defence for starters. We don't look like we talk to each other whilst trying to slide etc, so it looks like its a panic line, hence why teams are out numbering us when the ball is shipped over to the wings.

Whiting at Centre, Rankin and Miller in the Halves, hopefully take the line on better this time. Also hoping that the forwards(minus paea) were embarrassed by getting battered about at NCP, so they step up and kick ass

pulling the trigger usualy helps.